Today marks one years since I walked through the doors of the HUB New Mexico office as an employee; the experience has already proven monumental in my life. The occupation and field of work has taught me quite a bit, but the true growth has come from the employer. HUB has consistently shown itself to be a healthy company both internally and externally, and I will always be thankful for the opportunities I have here. Below I wish to detail the healthy habits that my own office has demonstrated the past 365 days…habits I believe other companies would benefit from implementing into their own practices.
- Smooth On-Boarding Process
There are few things in the professional life of an adult scarier than the first day of a new job. The fears are similar to the first day of a new high schooler: Will I be accepted? Will I succeed? Will I like it? Where will I eat lunch? Will I show up and realize I forgot to put pants on?
HUB assuaged those fears as soon as I walked through the doors though, and ensured I felt as comfortable as possible. Given a personal tour of every nook and cranny of the workspace, I was also introduced to staff that were supportive, welcoming, and encouraging. The tour ended in my office where I was acclimated to my surroundings and walked through the process of setting up my voicemail, email signatures, etc.….. (Stuff that I feel is easy, but apparently I forget how to use tech when nervous). Walking me through this all though allowed me to see the company standards, and also assured me that there are guidelines to function within.
Not only was I welcomed and made to feel comfortable through a smooth on-boarding process, but also I was beginning to see the high principles and ideals my new employer strove for.
- Top-Down Support
I met with the president of the branch immediately, but it was more than just a standard operating procedure for a new employee. I soon found out that the president genuinely cared for each and every employee, and that included the newest rookie. You can often here him walking throughout the office calling workers out by name and asking about their families; an open-door policy is something he not only says he has, but something he promotes and implements.
I remember vividly a day in which my boss walked past my office, then reversed back to check on me. He simply said I didn’t look like I was 100%, talked to me for about five minutes to see what he could do to help, and then carried on to the meeting he was now five minutes closer to being late for. That’s the culture here, in which care for the employees is not simply a nice thought and piece of marketing literature, but is practiced first by the president.
- Resource Support
I happen to have the opportunity to work for a company that has a seemingly-endless reserve of national and international resources. However, this vast amount of resource can often seem difficult to access on a local level, especially in a smaller market like New Mexico. Not here. This sort of gap is bridged often by a strong management team that ensures employees are as trained as possible for the tasks at hand, and will often bring specialists from other parts of the country to coach and mentor through the resources necessary to best serve our clientele.
Also available though, is resource support from an HR perspective. Our strong HR team ensures that the staff is taken care of as well. This shows me that my office understands the fact that a happy and healthy staff will not only serve to maintain business, but will grow it greatly! Thus, I feel it is apparent that our company sees that our needs are met, and also empowers us with the tools to see the same for our clients.
- Transparency
There are a lot of changes in the industry I work in, and this is true both internally and externally. However, our branch has successfully implemented a culture of open communication that allows all staff to be involved and informed. Furthermore, it strengthens the staff and makes us feel as if our voice matters for the betterment of the culture we work in. Feeling this way helps to know we work for more than a paycheck.
- Team-Oriented
Feeling as if we all work as a team is truly critical to my work experience. This has been achieved through the aforementioned open communication, as well as the emphasis that every single position is critical to the success of the mission. Recognizing each part of the workforce provides value, confidence, and knowledge. It helps the “hotshots” realize their inadequacy without the others, and helps the others realize “hotshots” as people providing value as well. It breaks down barriers, and provides a purpose great than the individual. In essence, our missions here do not get accomplished without TEAM.
I feel as if I could detail my first year’s impression all day, however I DO have work to accomplish…I better go get with the team!
Life thus far. 